Centrifugal apparatus



Dec. 5, 1939. E, MILLER AL 2,182,159

CENTRIFUGAL APPARATUS Ffiled March 25, 1936 331696-5118 1 UVVEN TURS Edward L and 14-5750 A TTORNEYS Dec. 5, 1939. E. L. MILLER ET AL 7 2,182,159

CENTRIFUGAL APPARATUS Filed March 25, 1936 h6 t Sheet 2 w-w M ATTORNEYS Dec. 5, 1939. E MILLER ET AL 2,

CENTRIFUGAL APPARATUS Filed March 25, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 [M N TORS fdwarr/ L M//gr and 2/7 1 A 57.10/

Patented Dec. 5, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,182,159 7 CENTRIFUGAL APPARATUS Application March 25, 1936, Serial No. 70,771

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to a novel and improved centrifugal apparatus for the treatment and purification of liquids and more particularly to an apparatus for the removal of various impurities from heated liquids by the combined I action of vaporization and centrifugal force.

Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part hereinafter and in part will be obvious herefrom, or may be learned by practice with the invention, the same being realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in the appended claim.

The invention consists in the novel parts, construction, arrangements, combinations and improvements herein shown and described.

The accompanying drawings, referred to herein and constituting a part hereof, illustrate embodiments of the invention, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

Of the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an illustrative embodiment of the present invention and show- 25 ing the centrifugal apparatus, driving motor, and

hoisting mechanism;

Figure 2 is a detailed vertical section through the centrifugal apparatus shown in Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a similar view of a modified embodi- 30 ment of the invention.

The present invention has for its object the provision of a novel and improved centrifugal of the clarifier or imperforate bowl type. A further object is the provision of an improved centrifugal 35 particularly adapted for use in the separation of solid or heavier particles from a main body of liquid and for the treatment of the liquid by means of a flowing gas such as air. Still another object is the provision of a centrifugal bowl 40 separator in which the efliuent and purified liquid, which may be hot, is projected as a fine mist or spray through a transversely flowing stream of air or other gas whereby the liquid is cooled and the more readily volatile portion of the liquid 45 is vaporized and removed by the flowing gas. The invention also provides an efficient and simple design of centrifugal adapted to. operate on hot liquid masses, such as pasteurized or boiling cream or milk; and further provides a cen- 50 trifugal separating machine which permits of extremely rapid cooling of the treated liquid.

Referring generally to the illustrative embodiment of the invention, there is provided a bowl or imperforate cylinder having a suitable lip and 5 baflies toreceive and retain a substantial quantity of liquid while it is subjected to centrifugal force by the rapid rotation of the bowl. This bowl is preferably supported on a driven shaft within a casing and is detachable from the shaft for v removal through the top of the casing. Means 5' are provided for feeding liquid tothe bowl and where hot liquids are treated cooling means are provided and here comprise a water jacket within the casing against which the treated liquid as it is discharged from the bowl is projected by the centrifugal force of its rotation. The flow of cooling liquid through the jacket is preferably opposite to the flow of liquid against the interior of the jacket. Means are provided for preventing substantial transmission of heat from the f5 bowl contents to the shaft and its driving means, and for this purpose a radiator is provided on the shaft just below the bowl and between the bowl and the shaft driving means and'means areprovided for circulating a current of cooling air over i this radiator.

To further cool the treated liquid and for carrying away the more readily vaporizable constituents of the heated liquid as it is discharged from the bowl, means are provided for creating a strong current of air flowing normally to and through the sheet of finely divided effluent liquid as it is discharged as a mist or spray radially from the bowl. This flow of air is created by providing an inlet aperture surrounding the shaft 0 by which the bowl is supported and by providing a larger aperture in the casing above the bowl, which may conveniently be the aperture through which the bowl is removable. Although a considerable flow of air will thus be obtained by the 3 rotation of the bowl within the casing and its centrifugal action on the air between the bowl and easing, it is frequently desirable to augment this flow by a fan mounted on the shaft and forcing air through the inlet around the shaft. Other means may be provided, surrounding the shaft and through which the air is necessarily passed in flowing to the inlet for filtering the air to prevent contamination of the efiiuent liquid.

In order to facilitate removal and replacement of the bowl in cleaning, a hoist is provided to one side of the casing, and a spider having a jointed leg and of a size to pass through the upper portion of the bowl and engage therewith is suspended on the hoist. Thus, the spider may enter the bowl and is automatically engaged with the top lip of the bowl as it is lifted. I

It will be understood that the foregoing general description as well as the following detailed (18-.

scription are exemplary and explanatory of the invention but are not restrictive thereof.

Referring now in detail to the illustrative embodiment of the invention as shown in the accompanying drawings, and in particular to Figures 1 and 2, the bowl of the centrifugal separator is shown as constructed in accordance with the patent to Bryson No. 1,710,447 of April 23, 1929, and comprises a cylindrical metal wall l secured to a bottom wall i2, and an annular upper lip Id of considerable width and'provided with a plurality of annular baflles l6 extending radially inwardly of the wall ll Baffles [6 are provided with staggered apertures 20 and serve not only to insure prolonged treatment of the liquid contents of the bowl, but also serve to reduce surging of the liquid within the bowl. The bottom wall i2 is secured to the hub 22 by which the bowl is releasably mounted on the supporting and driving shaft 24 and is fixed thereto by key 26 and nut 21.

Shaft 24 is rotatably journalled and held in an upright position by means of bearing 3% mounted in the base frame 3i, and on the lower end of shaft 24 is the driving pulley 33 by which the shaft and bowl are driven from motor 35 through the multiple V-belts 3?.

. The liquid to be treated is fed to the bowl H) in a steady stream through pipe at and the rate of flow may be suitably varied in accordance with the intensity of treatment desired and the speed of revolution of the bowl.

The liquid to be treated in the bowl is generally hot and often in excess of 200 F. and in accordance with the present invention there are provided means for reducing the amount of heat transferred from the liquid and bowl to the bearing 39 and pulley 33. As embodied, these means comprise a multiple fin radiator 42 having a relatively large area of contact with the shaft 24 between the bowl iii and bearing 30, and may be formed of a highly conductive metal such as copper or aluminum, and means for forcing a relatively rapid current of air over the radiator.

For collecting the purified liquid as it is discharged over the upper lip Hi of the bowl and for rapidly cooling the heated liquid, there is provided a water jacketed casing surrounding the bowl [0 and spaced therefrom. This casing comprises a cylindrical side wall 50, a slightly frustro-conical bottom 52, inclined downwardly and outwardly, and an upper lip 53, having an internal diameter slightly in excess of the outer diameter of bowl E0 to permit easy removal of the bowl from the casing. This casing is supported on the base pedestal 55 which surrounds the shaft 24 and supports the shaft bearing 33. Interiorly of the casing. and spaced concentrically to and a slight distance from the outer wall 58 is a relatively thin metal wall against which the purified liquid impinges and is cooled as it drains down and onto the bottom wall 52. Near the edge of the bottom 52 is an outlet 6!] through which the purified liquid is conducted away from the apparatus.

Cooling fluid is circulated between the walls 50 and 51 and is introduced into this space by pipe 62 and is led away by pipe M, these pipes being preferably located diametrically opposite each other to effect a thorough circulation of the cooling water through the space, and pr ferably from the bottom upwardly or counter to the direction of flow of Means are providedfor flowing gas through the finely divided purified liquid as it is discharged from the'bowl. As embodied, a collar 68 is fitted to the bottom 52 and is of a considerably larger size than the shaft 25, also serving to prevent loss of purified liquid adjacent to i the shaft. Due to the less diameter of the collar 68 than the lip 53, the rapid rotation of the bowl It] produces a centrifugal fan action sucking air through the collar and forcing it upwardly around the bowl 10, substantially normal to the finely divided, disc-like liquid discharge from the bowl, thereby evaporating and removing the more readily volatile constituents of the purified liquid. By positioning the collar '68 adjacent to the radiator 32, its action is enhanced due to the more rapid flow of air over its fins.

For purifying thetreating air and insuring that the purified liquid is not contaminated by the air, filter members are provided through which the entire flow of treating air is drawn. These filters comprise panels of filter cloth l6 mounted over corresponding inlet apertures in the pedestal 55.

Hoisting means are provided for removing the bowl Hi from the machine, as for cleaning, and a crane arm 55 is movably mounted to one side of the casing and may be swung over the casing. Over the bowl It and supported from the crane arm 75 is a pulley ll, while on the upright 13 is rotatably mounted the cable drum l5 and guide pulley B3, and drum i9 is provided with a crank 8! by which the drum may be turned to wind up the cable 83. fall 85 isconv'eniently provided, and to it is fastened the hook 8? which engages in the eye 88 of spider 89. Spider 89 comprises two rigid arms 96, and an extension 9! at the end of which is pivoted a knuckle 92 which can only be raised, but is held against downward movement by its inward end 93 which contacts with the under side of extension 9|. A shoulder 95 is provided on each arm and knuckle to center the spider as it is lifted after having been dropped into the bowl and these shoulders are so relatively positioned that they just fit within the inner edge of lip M of the bowl H3. Thus the operator need only drop the spider within the bowl and lift it and the bowl out'of the casing.

A screw plug 95 is provided at the lowermost portion of the bowl iii to permit easy draining of the liquid contents of the bowl, and this plug is threaded into a correspondingly threaded aperture in the bottom wall !2 of the bowl.

For preventing excessive swaying or gyratory movement of the bowl as it is rotated, a buffer 98 is mounted on shaft 24 and as excessive sway of thebowl and shaft develops, the bufier contacts with the interior of collar 68 and thereby limits and checks this swaying movement.

The operation of the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2 may be summarized as follows:

While bowl in is rotated at the desired speed. by motor, the liquid to be treated, such as milk or cream, is discharged into the bowl through pipe 40, is forced radially outwardly by means of the bottom l2 as it contacts therewith and gradually works upwardly of the bowl through the apertures 28 in the annular bailles i5 finally discharging from the bowl over the upper lip is As it travels upwardly, the liquid is subjected to centrifugal force, and solid particles of greater specific gravity than the liquid are removed from the liquid and collect between the ib-afiles and against the bowl Wall HI, so that the liquid dis- 7:;

charged from the bowl is substantially pure and homogeneous. This liquid is generally hot', and may be heated even as high as within a few degrees of its boiling point.

The centrifugally purified liquid is discharged from the bowl as a fine mist or spray and impinges against the continuously cooled Wall 51 of the water jacket where it is suddenly cooled and thereafter drains downwardly and is collected in the bottom 52 of the casing and is discharged from the casing through the outlet pipe 60.

As the basket rotates, the air between the bowl and the casing is rapidly rotated due to the windage of the bowl, and there is produced an air pressure due to the centrifugal fan action of the bowl. This pressure tends to discharge the air through those apertures farthest removed from the center of rotation and to suck in air through those apertures which are nearest the center of rotation. Accordingly, the air is sucked into the space between the bowl and casing through the collar 68 and is discharged through the large space at the top of the casing, and this flow of air passes directly through and normal to the disc-like sheet of liquid mist or spray as it is discharged from the bowl it Any of the more volatile constituents of the liquid subjected to treatment are vaporized and in the case of milk oir cream, any objectionable odoriferous constituents are removed from the liquid, thereby improving the product.

This rapid flow of air through the collar 58 also facilitates the cooling of the bearings 30 for the shaft 24, and the fiow of air is concentrated adjacent to the radiating fins 42 thereby preventing substantial heat transmission from the bowl contents to the shaft bearing St.

The apparatus may be operated for long periods of time without interruption, but when the solid constituents of the treated liquid have accumulated to a sufficient extent, the bowl is removed for cleaning, and to do this, the operator need only loosen the nut 21, drop the spider 98 into the bowl, and wind up the cable on drum 79, thereby. raising the bowl ID from the apparatus, after which it may be swung to one side and lowered for cleaning.

In cleaning, the operator may first drain the bowl of its liquid constituents by removal of the screw plug 98, and thereafter the bowl and baffles may be cleaned by scraping, washing and other suitable treatment.

Referring now in detail to the modified embodiment of the invention as illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawings, the centrifugal apparatus is generally similar to that shown in Figures 1 and 2, but additional means are provided for insuring a more rapid and positive circulation of the air through the liquid being treated, and other means are provided for insuring a more complete and thorough circulation of the cooling water through the water-jacket surrounding the bowl and forming a part of the casing.

As illustratively embodied in the apparatus shown in Figure 3, there is provided a helical band I00 of square cross-section between the casing wall 50 and the interior wall 51 of the water jacket and this band fills the space between these two walls, thereby insuring that the cooling water travels in a helical path around the casing from the inlet upwardly to the outlet and in a general direction counter to the downwardly draining treated liquid, as well in a direction opposite to the circumferential movement of the discharged liquid on the wall 5?. For insuring a more rapid and positive circulation of the treating air, the sleeve surrounding the shaft 2% is made larger than in Figures 1 and 2, and comprises the cylindrical member lll l having mounted within it the buffer sleeve :02, and within the cylindrical member WI and below the buffer sleeve N32 is a sirocco fan HM mounted on the shaft 24 and rotated thereby. As the bowl rotates, this fan draws in air at its bottom and discharges the air radially outwardly and upwardly through the cylindrical member and between the bowl and casing.

In other respects the embodiment of Figure 3 is of the same general construction as the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2, and similar reference characters designate similar parts in all of the figures.

The apparatus of the present invention is applicable to the treatment of various liquids, but finds its principal usefulness in connection with purification, pasteurization and aeration of cream, milk and similar liquids.

The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific mechanisms shown and described but departures may be made therefrom within the scope of the accompanying claim Without departing from the principles of the invention and without sacrificing its chief advantages.

What We claim is:

A centrifugal machine including, in combina tion, an imperforate clarifying bowl, means to introduce liquid into the bowl, anv inwardly directed flange at the upper edge thereof defining an annular discharge rim, means for rotatably mounting the bowl, spaced annular fins arranged on the interior of the bowl to retard the upward travel of liquid and having apertures therein, a casing spaced therefrom and surrounding said bowl, said casing being composed of vertical, spaced side Walls forming a cooling jacket extending from a position below the bottom of said bowl to a position above said discharge rim of said bowl and terminating at the top in an inwardly directed flange, a bottom wall in said casing provided with an air inlet passage, means associated with said passage to produce a blast of air, and direct the same upwardly between said casing and bowl to form a substantially annular column of air adapted to intercept liquid discharging from the top of said bowl in the form of a horizontal film and being projected against the inner wall of said casing, said casing comprising cooling means including a helical spacing member between the Walls of the casing, 21. cooling water inlet means at the lower end of said wall, outlet means for said water at the top of said wall, means for circulating cooling water helically from bottom to top in said casing while liquid discharged from said bowl against said casing, after aeration, drains downwardly over said casing wall for cooling, and discharge means for said cooled, aerated liquid adjacent the bottom of said casing.

EDWARD L. MILLER. TANDY A. BRYSON. 

